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Alaska Air sued over off-duty pilot sabotage attempt
Three passengers are suing Alaska Airlines over the incident of an off duty pilot attempting to sabotage a plane.
The passengers are claiming emotional distress and ‘nausea on later flights, insomnia, anxiety, and flashbacks of the incident.’
It named Alaska Airlines and regional affiliate Horizon Air as defendants.
Horizon Air operated the flight.
Matthew Dolan, Theresa Stelter and Paul Stephen are the plaintiffs.
Off duty pilot Joseph Emerson was seated in the cockpit’s jump seat.
Stating he was ‘not OK’ Emerson ‘tried to crash the aircraft by activating the fire suppression system to shut down the fuel to the engines’ the lawsuit says.
Emerson and the on duty pilots ‘wrestled for control of the aircraft.’
Emerson then left the cockpit and attempted to open an emergency exit door.
He was subdued and the pilots were able to restore duel supply to the engines.
The plane was then diverted.
He was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder.
He pleaded not guilty and said he had not slept for nearly two days.
He was suffering with depression and had taken magic mushrooms days before the incident.
The lawsuit seeks a ‘forthright public explanation’ on security screenings and mental wellbeing procedures.
“The airlines need a wake-up call. Pilots are not immune from sleeplessness, drugs, or a mental health crisis,” said Daniel Laurence, the lawyer representing the passengers.
“Only luck prevented it from becoming a mass disaster.”
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